AKPC_IDS += "336,";

Americans are on track to spend more than $40 billion on backyard improvements this year. A smart move, since a study by the University of Michigan found that consumers value a landscaped home 11.3% higher than the same home without good landscaping. But how do you make sure your money is well spent? Here are my best tips: 1. Make a five-year plan Everything doesn’t have to be done at once. Plantings mature at different rates, and you can add new features each year. 2. Test your soil Savvy landscapers have a saying, “Plant a $50 plant in a $100 [...]

According to the latest National Association of Realtors (NAR) report, sales of existing homes increased for the first time in February by almost 3%. But sales prices are down 8.2% from a year earlier. If you’re thinking of selling your home in today’s highly competitive market, you need to avoid the following mistakes: THE OPEN HOUSE 1. Hosting an open house is one of the most popular ways to let people know that you’re home is for sale. There are, however, certain instances when they can be a big mistake. Hosting lots of open houses is not good. Very often [...]

Before you bid, find out what you need to purchase a good property Foreclosure filings in February are up 60 percent from a year ago. That’s 223,651 homes that received foreclosure filings last month. Nevada, California and Florida have the highest foreclosure filing rates in the nation. In the past year, 1,000 Florida homes have been auctioned. In one of the largest auctions in history, 500 homes will be auctioned off next week in Florida and last for six days. Even Miami Dolphins quarterback Dan Marino attempted to auction off his Florida home last month, and Michael Jackson’s Neverland Ranch [...]

AKPC_IDS += "359,";